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We are looking for others who want to participate in shared learning groups through the ABF.

Here's how[/b]: 1. Let us know you want to participate in this thread , 2. Decide which pieces you want to learn to play (suggest any that are not on the current list), 3. We'll match you up with others who also want to learn to play those same pieces.

The list of participants and piano pieces have been relocated to this thread

Opus, your musical tastes sound like they fit mine pretty closely. So of course that interests me right there. But I'm not sure what you have in mind? Do you mean choosing a piece, and we'd all work on the same piece (hopefully from the same score) so that we could kind of "peer-teach" ourselves through it? If that's what you mean, it sounds like a great idea. Except that I personally seem to be going through an impulsive phase, where I keep adding more and more pieces to my practice list, so I'm probably at the bursting stage! :p

"The Virtuosic Christmas Performer" sounds interesting, "showy solos" that's what I want! off to Amazon for a look.

I need to look at Linus & Lucy again. I'm interested in adding something fancy to my Christmas repertoire this year, one possibility is George Winston's Canon, or his version of the Carol of Bells (which I love!!)

Hello ShiroKuro,What I have in mind is pretty much as you describe, choosing a piece (or pieces) and "peer-teach".

I would suggest we spend about a week & see who else might have an interest, and then ask for ideas. We'll want to have a little structure, yet be as flexible as possible to accomodate different schedules/etc.. Perhaps we might want to work up a list (separate lists for classical/new age/modern/jazz/other?). I would guess that some folks might only want to participate for certain pieces and not others...perhaps some folks will already have mastered something we're working on in which case might be willing to advise the rest of us, etc...

By the way, the Virtuosic Christmas Performer has a version of "Carol of the Bells"...I have George Winston's December CD & also enjoy his version of the same...not sure if I could play that anytime soon. I do want to master (once and for all) "Linus & Lucy", and I'd like to do it before this holiday season!

I just spent 20 minutes looking for my advanced version of Linus & Lucy and can't find it...I think I'm going to have to order it again, but I'll wait to see what else may show up on our group learning list (save on shipping costs).In addition to sounding cool & being a crowd pleaser, Linus & Lucy really looks FUN to play. I have no doubt others will also want to tackle that one!

Originally posted by Opus45:I've also been wanting to nail down "Linus & Lucy" as well.

Thoughts? [/b]

Linus & Lucy is one of my favorites. It's also one of the pieces I used to be able to play before my 20 year playing hiatus, but no longer can do justice to. I guess I could play the "easy" version, but those are usually so boring.

Opus, I finally found the Virtuosic Christmas Performer (why is virtuosic so hard to spell!)

The Silent Night arrangement looks pretty nice, virtuosic even!

I wonder if I might be so bold as to ask if you could some how scan in just a few lines from Carol of the Bells (preferably somewhere in the middle perhaps?) so I could see what it looks like before I decide whether or not to buy it. I have about a billion arrangements of Silent Night, so it would be Carol of the Bells that I'd be after, but it's really expensive to buy from Japan unfortunately, so I hate to buy without being able to take a look. If you can't scan or take digital picture, could you perhaps describe it a bit? Sorry, this is a lot to ask, if it's a hassle just pretend there was a blind spot on your screen and you didn't see this message. You could always say "the sun was in my eyes."ã€€

LOL, ShiroKuro, sure I would be happy to do this for you. I have a scanner in my office...if I'm out & able to stop in I'll do this today or tomorrow, otherwise it will be Tuesday morning (Monday is a holiday for most of us in the U.S.). I think you will like this version of Carol of the Bells, it's not as difficult as George Winston's version, but not as "plain" as many versions that you find in generic Christmas music books. (Didn't see your last post last night...I was probably already sleeping when you wrote it...funny thing being on opposite sides of the globe) Now I'm having my morning coffee & you're probably getting sleepy.

Edit [ShiroKuro, While you were sleeping, I stopped by my office to scan the Carol for you and saved it as a PDF. I sent Email to you through this forum...if you respond back to the Email address I provided, I'll be able to attach the PDF document and you'll have it (hope you appreciate this because my boss was there & I got sucked into working a bit )]

Sign me up! I've been thinking about starting a Christmas piece already and with my lessons ending for a couple of months it sounds like the perfect way to keep me in line.... although I do have a full plate of "needs polishing" and "can't remember anymore" pieces and a new one!!... that I have promised to work on.... :rolleyes: But I really would like to have an impressive Christmas piece under my fingers by November!

Sandy,Are you interested in "Linus and Lucy", or a different piece? folly, you've been added to the list (glad you decided to join us)ShiroKuro, I just sent the Carol to your EMail. TX-Dennis, so are you in?

Sure! Sign me up. I am in the late intermediate level. I have the Linus and Lucy song in my book, "The Vince Guaraldi Collection" It has four flats, A,B,D and E. Is this the arrangement you are refering to? I wouldn't mind learning to play it, I have never tried to learn music over a forum before so it could be FUN!

Monica, I've been told the advanced version with 4 flats (key of A-Flat) is a good one.

Everyone: I was thinking of continuing the recruiting process until at least June 5th?? Then polling everyone who is interested for ideas in terms of how best to organize our learning group (i.e. different groups for classical, new age, jazz, modern, christmas, etc...how many pieces (maybe 2 ambitious classical pieces for rest of 2006 (one per quarter?) just to see how it goes) etceteras.. for a possible start time toward the middle-end of June? How does this sound?

Kawaigirl, I have a blue book (why am I always at the computer without any music books, but I think it's the same title you posted) and it has a simplified version of Linus & Lucy (that I didn't personally like) I am going tosee if I have the 4-flat version and if not, order it.

BTW Opus, I am going to order that Virtuosic Christmas Book, wanna do Carol of the Bells too?

Hey, Petrof1, is that by Danny Elfman, from the movie Corpse Bride? Where did you get the score? I have so far seen two version, one I didn't like, and the other was actually a medley from that movie. And I usually dislike medleys. Anyway, I really want to play that too. (Maybe it's not the same one, because now I'm thinking that the one I saw was called Piano Duet) Anyway, I want to play the piece he plays when he's just about to meet her for the first time, in the hall there.

I ordered Victor's Piano Solo from the Sheetmusicplus.com website , it was $3.95, not including the shipping. The publisher of the sheetmusic is Alfred Publishing Co.Inc. You might be able to order it from alfred.com as well. Yes, this is the one by Danny Elfman. It is from the Corpse Bridemovie. The music is 2 pages.It has a C,D,F and G sharp.

I would be very interested in learning a fancy Christmas piece. In the past I wouldn't get started on my Christmas music until after Thanksgiving, and would have to settle for playing distinctly UNimpressive pieces on Christmas eve.

Or maybe a nice jazz solo.

I once had a creepy boyfriend who played Linus and Lucy over and over, so that's out for me!

I was really impressed with Mike White's performance of Chopin's Waltz in A-flat in the past recital (and he is totally self taught!). I would consider tackling this one...and like many of us here, I enjoy most anything Chopin, so if enough folks want to learn something else Chopin, I'm in (unless I've already learned it, in which case I'll just "listen in" for clues on how I might improve it & maybe share a suggestion?)

I'm still looking through my "wish list". I'm defininetly in for Linus & Lucy & know that will definitetly be a challenge for me.

(by the way, I'll do my best to not miss any suggestions posted here by participants, but if I happen to miss a suggestion, please Email me and I'll add it to the list)

Opus, ShiroKuro was KIDDING about that Croation Rhapsody! Weren't you, ShiroKuro??!! Please say yes! [starts to feel more than a little desperate, as there's no way she is up to tackling that piece based on what it sounds like and what the sheet music excerpt looks like].

I would love to sign up. However, I have never heard of any of the selections.

My musical taste runs to the classical...Chopin topping of the list.

I am currently putting the finishing touches on that Chopin A minor waltz and if that would be added, I could give some tips on how I conquered the difficult measures.

And I can play the easier preludes.

Well, what to do?

Perhaps have another Group that deals with intermediate -early advanced classical pieces? I know I should "branch out? in my tastes, but, as someone mentioned on this forum, you HAVE to play what you HAVE to play.

And I HAVE to play the classics.

Any other people who feel the same?

Otherwise, I think this is a wonderful idea.

Kathleen

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After playing Chopin, I feel as if I had been weeping over sins that I had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own." Oscar Wilde, 1891

Hello Kathleen,Glad you're joining in! I have a feeling several Chopin pieces will end up on the list. You mention that you're putting finishing touches on his A-minor Waltz...this is a piece I am thinking about starting myself (anyone else interested in learning this together?). If you have a certain Chopin piece that is on your "wish list" (or anything else), let me know & I'll add it to the list.We're still recruiting & fishing for ideas & hope to get somewhat organized during the month of June.

Monica: LOL, I didn't realize ShiroKuro was kidding...i still haven't heard the Croatian Rhapsody, but from the looks of what she posted (difficult music passages w/ 16th notes/rests), YIPES....not sure I could manage that one without much difficulty.

Kathleen: I also love Chopin and have been looking for a classical piece that I can learn next that is NOT Chopin -- just for variety's sake. One that I've been thinking of is Melodie by Jules Massenet. Also, Waltz in A flat by Brahms, which might be too hard, but I still love it. (You can listen to the beginnings of these pieces by searching for them on Amazon).

I learned Chopin's Raindrop Prelude many years ago and have to relearn it, Op. 28, #15 in D flat. It's listed as a level 9 in a Conservatory of Music school syllabus. One level down from a 10, then a teacher, then a performer. I found it difficult, mostly because of the crowding of notes. But in another editon, there's most white space and I think a person of late intermediate-early advanced could succeed in playing it. I would like to add that one to my wish list.

Yellowville: You are perfectly correct in that I have to branch out and play other composer's pieces. I know there are many that are just as wonderful (well, almost) as Chopins'.

About your question...do you mean intermediate pieces by Chopin or other composers who are similiar to Chopin in nature?

The "easiest" Chopin preludes are: Op. 28, #4, #6, #7, #20,

Mazurkas: Op. 67, #3, #4, Op. 68, #3

I have a wonderful collection called: The Romantic Period: A Repertory of Piano Works by Masters of the 19th Century. So many of the famous works of all the composers of this time period.

I'll study it and I am sure I will find pieces that could be very likely candidates for a Classical Class...if you want to do that. Or perhaps just add a few of them to the main class.

On to wash the dog!

Kathleen

_________________________
After playing Chopin, I feel as if I had been weeping over sins that I had never committed, and mourning over tragedies that were not my own." Oscar Wilde, 1891